Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-20
GHOSTS.
A MANSION ruAr no oHE cAx LIVE
Figures hove Slowly Up the Stairway
with a Mysterious Burden
Invisible Hands.

stone mansion that is always tenantless.
An air of Parental gloom seems to
hover over Il, and the vacant lot sepa-
rating il from Eighty-sixth street-a
deep. rocky, unkempt sort of lot, with
its occasional tomato-can, sardlne-box,
and hoopskirt- makes the great wall o.
brick that frowns down upon 1t look
the more bare and melancholy.
Now and then family is induced to
move into the house by some of the
real estate agents that have it on their
lists. Carts and furniture vans roll up
to the door and deposit heavy burdens
of costly furniture. Carpets are put
down. the windows polished, the balls
scrubbed, and an air of life and ANNA
ton is given to the place. But only for
few weeks. Then the carts and the
vans come back, the furniture is taken
out again, the carpets come up, the PIC
lures come down from the walls, and
once more the house is left solemn,
silent. and tensntless. Ii seems there
is mystery about this house, and the
nature Of the mystery purpose to de-
scribe in the words OF friend of mine
who is familiar with its history.
The house is said to belong to the
estate of the late John Roach, the ship
builder. and though it is some two
years old, no family has yet been found
willing to remain in it save for a very
short period. They were disturbed
during the day and awakened ct night
by strange sounds and moving though
unseen forms, and once out declared
they would not re-enter were they to
have the house without the payment OF
a dollar.
Some little time ago q family, con-
sisting of n young man, his wife, and
three children, moved in. The agent
promised to put the house in thorough
repair, and so, when it was discerned
that the pipes were out of order they
notified him, and he at once sent an
expert plumber. This man and his as
sistants discovering
THE SEAT OF THE TROUBLE
to be in the cellar, went down there,
and were soon at work hammering and
soldering and tinkering, as is theil
wont. But they didn't stay very long
not even long enough to complete their
work. On the second day of their la
bors they suddenly and without expla-
nation knocked off work and quit the
place. "What do you mean by leaving
your work half-fnished and everything
in disorder 2" demanded the new oc'
cupant whom l shall call Mr.. Smith,,
as he hurried into the plumbers shop
"Well," replied the plumber
brusquely, "we can't work down
in no cellar Ike that - there's
too much draught." Cant work in 9
cellar, because of a draught?" replied
the surprised Hr. Smith, repeating the
words, "why in thunder didn't you
stop the draught?" "Oh, it don't maxi
no difference" said the plumber, evi
IDENTIFY i'll at ease and embarrassed, "wC
can't work there, and that's all abou
it," The man did not mean TO be inso
lent; he only seemed anxious TO give NJ
the Job. He was pale and he STAN
mered as he spoke. But why don
you take your tools out if you've giveI
up the Job ?" demanded Mr. Smith
"Oh, never mind the TOOLS" was thu
reply; " we amt going back there for NJ
tools nor for nuthin' else.
1t was bat natural that Mr.. Smitl
should be surprised at this remarkabl,
behavior of the plumber, who was will
ing, not only to give up a good-payint
Job, but to lose kit of valuable tools
He did not tell his wife about the mat
ter for fear of frightening her, but h
spoke of it to several of his friends.
1t was not long after this when som
strange things happened in this Fifth
avenue mansion. Mrs. Smith, who wa
the first one annoyed by them, delaye
for some time telling her husband wha
she had heard. She liked the house
the rent was unusually low, consider
ing its position, and she was loath :
annoy him about what she tried to max
herself believe
COULD READILY BE EXPLAINED.
She discovered, however, that, for som
unknown cause, the servants, one ate
another, became dissatisfied ant
showed a disposition to quit at shor
notice. No amount of kindness, c
considerate treatment, served to max
them happy and contented.
One night when the lady and he
husband were preparing to retire tn
sounds of many footsteps were heard L
the spare rooms on The third floor JUS
over her head. She knew that none Q
her family were there, for these room
had not yet been furnished. 1t coul
not be the servants, for the lady ha
Just come from below stairs, where sh
had seen them finishing up their work
and as the door of her chamber, whic
almost faced the stairway, was open, sh
would have noticed them had the
passed. So she called to her husband
and he, thoroughly aroused by wha
had transpired in the house, made
dash for the rooms whence the noise
proceeded, determined TO clear up til
mystery. He bolted into the apart
ments, he searched the closets, tn
hallway, and even thrust his arm u
the chimneys Of the tireplaces. IL
saw no one; he heard no one.
A few nights afterward there was
still more uncanny occurrence. HuS
band and wife and a young lady, TEN
porarily sojourning with them, sat b.
the open fireplace of their sitting-roor
on the second floor. The rain pattere
ftfulIy against the windows, and tn
shadows of night, disturbed by tn
Pickering gas-lights in the street, wan
dered into the dimly-ighted apart
ment, for the gas was turned down
and threw various uncouth fguresupo
the wall. "What is tlat?" suddenl
exclaimed the wife, and she started II
and looked in the direction of the stair
way, the landing of which, as said be
fore, being Just outside the door of thu
room. All listened. Sure enough
there was a distinct sound Of peopl
coming slowly up the stairway. The
stepped heavily, rs if carrying som
bI9den between them, and the
CRRAKING OF THE STAIRS
and the swish-svish of women's cloth
ing along the banisters was distinct
Mr.. Smith made leap for the door
and the two women put their hands u
to their heads in fright. There wa
| nothing IN he seen on the stairWays